For All the Little Guys

Text: Matthew 8:1-4

Introduction

The verses in Matthew 4:23-5:1 should be read as a background for our text. The teachings and admonitions of the Sermon on the Mount are sandwiched in between 5:1 and 8:1. Therefore they have a logical connection. These background verses describe for us our Lord's activity (teaching, preaching, and healing), His popularity (fame and great multitudes), and the reality of His ministry (he was extremely busy). The multitudes that followed Him to the mountain are still in tow. Throngs move across the country side to soak up the teachings and miracles of Christ.

A precious glimpse of the Lord is provided by Matthew in the midst of this ministerial success. A leper approaches Him, and makes a request for healing. Jesus responds, and the man is made clean. Here is an event to be cherished by all the little guys in this life! Jesus is never so caught up in the affairs of ministry that He has no time for the insignificant man (by this world's standard) or the societal outcast. We see here that Jesus always responds to faith without regard for the stature of those who exercise it! Our text grants hope and encouragement to all the little guys!

Observations

I. The Worship of the Leper

Note the contrast between these two phrases—"great multitudes followed" and "a leper worshipped." True worship always separates one from the crowd. Those who followed Jesus recognized His eminence as a man of God. Those who worshipped Him, as this poor leper, understood His preeminence as the Son of God.

The leper's statement to our Lord reveals two things about him. First, his own willingness to be clean. There are sinners aplenty who have no desire to be clean. The desire for cleanliness, however, cannot be separated from genuine worship. Second, his conviction concerning Christ's ability to bring healing to pass. The recognition of Christ's sovereignty has dissolved any doubts from this man's mind.

True worship does not stop at adoration, but contemplates provision as well. We see that the little guy who pondered the Lord's worthiness also petitioned His willingness to grant mercy and grace according to his need. The same is true for us. How's your worship of late?

II. The Will of the Lord

In response to "if thou wilt," the Lord said "I will." True worship longs to hear these two words from the Lord Jesus! True worship understands that the will of God is the only thing that stands between the supplicant and an infinite supply of grace! Oh the grand and infinite potential of these words!

Notice that this leper's healing was:

Initialized by the Touch--the Word to come was sufficient of itself to bring healing to pass. But the touch signifies something special and tender about the Lord's compassion for this man.

Actualized by the Word--there is power in His pronouncements, unction in His utterings, and awesomeness in His assertions! Even as the spoken Word brought creation into being, so also does it rectify this man's infirmity. The Word shall never lose its power!

Visualized by the Crowd--there was an instantaneous reversal of the effects of the disease. These changes were readily observable by the eyewitnesses in the crowd. So also are the effects of grace upon all who repent and believe the Gospel. These kinds of immediate and observable reversals of bonifide illnesses are strangely absent from the so-called "anointed" healers of our day. There is little resemblance whatsoever to Jesus' ministry and the modern-day imposters.

III. The Way of the Liberated

Jesus instructed the former leper to "tell no man" what had happened. This was basically a request designed to limit the size of an already burgeoning crowd. He was told rather to shew himself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses had commanded for a testimony unto them.

The testimony is that Jesus came not to do away with the law, but rather to fulfil it. His instruction to this leper for compliance to that law is a testimony to His righteous intent. Regarding Moses' law, Jesus was its essence, not its enemy! He was the fulness of the law, not its foe!

The way of the liberated is one of priesthood and priestly activity. That for which this leper would have been required to approach the priest had already been accomplished. It was the role of the priest to perform the offering of sacrifice, the ceremony of blood, and the anointing of oil. After these had been done, the priest would pronounce the leper clean. Jesus, by proclaiming "Be thou clean" to this leper, served notice to all within hearing range that He Himself was God's royal priest with all powers of the office!

Conclusion

All the little guys in this life can take consolation from this text. Genuine worship rooted in a heart of faith is enough to separate the petitioner from the crowd, and secure the undivided attention of the Lord Jesus. Even the little guy understands that the will of God can be accomplished in his life, and that limitless power avails to perform that will in response to faith!

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